Couples Therapy Beverly Hills, CA vs. Individual Therapy: Which One Do You Actually Need?
Authored by Viktoria Cicolli, Licensed Clinical Psychologist in California.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment.
One of the most common questions I hear in a first phone call is some version of this:
"Should I come in by myself — or should we come in together?"
It is a fair question. The relationship is hurting, but the hurt is showing up in both of you differently. One partner may feel anxious and unheard. The other may feel criticized and shut down. Someone may be wondering whether the problem is the relationship, or whether it is something older that keeps following them from one relationship to the next.
The short answer: if the main problem lives between the two of you — the same argument, the same distance, the same broken trust — couples therapy is usually the right starting point. If the main problem lives inside you and shows up across many relationships, individual therapy is usually the better first step. Many people eventually benefit from both.
As a Licensed Clinical Psychologist offering couples therapy in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and online throughout California, I want to walk you through how to tell the difference — so your first step is the right one.
What Is Couples Therapy?
In couples therapy, the relationship is the client. Both partners attend sessions together, and the focus is on the pattern that happens between you rather than on either person alone.
In my practice, couples therapy is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based approach developed by Dr. Sue Johnson. EFT starts from a simple idea: most painful fights are not really about the dishes, the money, or the text that went unanswered. They are about a deeper question — Are you there for me? Do I matter to you?
Couples therapy helps you:
Recognize the negative cycle you both get caught in
Slow down conflict before it escalates
Understand the softer emotions underneath anger or withdrawal
Repair trust after a rupture
Rebuild closeness, safety, and intimacy
You can learn more about how I work with partners on my Couples Therapy in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles page.
What Is Individual Therapy?
In individual therapy, you are the client. The work focuses on your inner world — your emotions, history, beliefs, and the patterns you bring into every relationship, including the one with yourself.
Individual therapy in Beverly Hills often helps with:
Anxiety, self-doubt, and overthinking
People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries
Grief, life transitions, and identity questions
Recurring relationship patterns, such as choosing unavailable partners
Early experiences that still shape how safe closeness feels
Individual therapy gives you a private space to explore things you may not be ready to say in front of a partner — and to understand yourself without having to manage anyone else's reaction in the room.
Couples Therapy vs. Individual Therapy: Side-by-Side
Who is the client? — Couples Therapy: The relationship · Individual Therapy: You
Who attends? — Couples Therapy: Both partners · Individual Therapy: Just you
Main focus — Couples Therapy: The cycle between you · Individual Therapy: Your inner patterns and history
Best for — Couples Therapy: Recurring conflict, distance, broken trust, intimacy problems · Individual Therapy: Anxiety, self-worth, personal patterns, life transitions
Typical session — Couples Therapy: 50 or 75 minutes · Individual Therapy: 50 minutes
Fee in my practice — Couples Therapy: $225 (50 min) / $275 (75 min) · Individual Therapy: $175–$210 (50 min)
Signs Couples Therapy Is the Right First Step
Couples therapy is usually the better starting point when:
You keep having the same fight. The topic changes, but the pattern — one pursues, one withdraws — stays the same.
You both feel lonely in the relationship, even when you are physically together.
Trust has been broken through an affair, secrecy, or a significant betrayal, and you both want to try to repair it.
Intimacy has faded, and neither of you knows how to bring it up without a fight.
A major transition — a baby, a move, a career change, an empty nest — has shifted the ground under you.
You both want the relationship to work, even if you do not yet know how.
That last point matters. Couples therapy works best when both partners are willing to look at their own part of the pattern — not just the other person's.
Signs Individual Therapy Is the Better Fit
Individual therapy is often the wiser first step when:
You notice the same pattern across multiple relationships, not only this one.
Your anxiety, mood, or self-criticism is affecting your work, friendships, and health — not just your partner.
You are unsure whether you want to stay and need space to think without pressure. (If you and your partner are at that crossroads together, discernment counseling is designed for exactly that.)
Your partner is not willing to attend. You can still change a relationship pattern from your side of it.
There is past trauma that feels too raw to explore with a partner present. My trauma and attachment therapy work is designed with that pace in mind.
An important safety note: If there is physical violence, threats, or fear of your partner in the relationship, couples therapy is generally not recommended until safety is established. Individual support comes first.
Can You Do Both at the Same Time?
Yes — and for many people, it helps.
A common and effective arrangement is couples therapy with one clinician while one or both partners do individual work with a separate therapist. That way, each person has a private space to explore their own history, while the shared sessions stay focused on the relationship.
What I generally avoid is seeing one partner individually and then also becoming the couple's therapist, because it can quietly tip the balance of trust. If you are already working with me individually and want couples therapy, we will talk openly about the best way to set that up — including a referral if that serves you better.
What Does the Research Say?
Both approaches are well-supported.
Couples therapy research consistently shows that roughly 70% of couples who receive therapy improve — results comparable to individual therapy and far better than no treatment. Emotionally Focused Therapy in particular has a strong evidence base, with studies showing that a majority of couples move from distress to recovery and maintain those gains over time.
Individual psychotherapy is equally well-established, with decades of research supporting its effectiveness for anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties.
The more important question is not "Which therapy is better?" It is "Which problem am I trying to solve first?"
What Couples Therapy Looks Like in Beverly Hills
My Beverly Hills office is on Wilshire Boulevard, and I also see clients at my Los Angeles office on Melrose Avenue. For couples who are juggling demanding Westside schedules — or simply prefer the comfort of home — online couples therapy is available by Zoom anywhere in California.
In our first sessions together, I will:
Meet with you both to understand your history and what brought you in
Map the negative cycle that keeps repeating
Help each of you name the needs and fears underneath it
Begin practicing new ways of reaching for each other
Many couples choose 75-minute sessions, which give enough time to slow a difficult conversation down instead of stopping right as it gets meaningful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is couples therapy only for couples who are about to break up?
No. Many couples come in early — during a transition, after a hard season, or simply because they want to feel closer. Couples therapy is often most effective before resentment has built up for years.
What if my partner won't go to couples therapy?
Start with individual therapy. When one person changes how they respond inside a pattern, the pattern itself often begins to shift. Many partners decide to join later.
How much does couples therapy cost in Beverly Hills, CA?
In my practice, couples therapy is $225 for a 50-minute session and $275 for a 75-minute session. Individual therapy is $175–$210 per 50-minute session. A sliding scale is available based on financial need.
Does insurance cover couples therapy?
I am an out-of-network provider, and I submit claims to PPO plans on your behalf. Coverage for couples therapy varies by plan, so it is worth calling your insurer to ask about out-of-network mental health benefits.
How long does couples therapy take?
It depends on what you are working through. Emotionally Focused Therapy is often described as a short-term model, commonly in the range of 8 to 20 sessions, though couples healing from a betrayal or long-standing distance may need longer.
Is online couples therapy as effective as in-person?
For many couples, yes. Online sessions are available throughout California and can make it easier to attend consistently — which matters more than the setting.
Take the First Step
You do not need to have the right answer before you reach out. Part of the first conversation is figuring out together what kind of support will actually help — couples therapy, individual therapy, or both.
If you are looking for couples therapy in Beverly Hills, CA, individual therapy in Los Angeles, or online therapy anywhere in California, I invite you to schedule a free consultation.
The pattern you are stuck in is not the end of the story.
References
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (n.d.). Marriage and family therapists: The family-friendly mental health professionals. AAMFT
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). How to choose a psychologist. APA
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy. (n.d.). What is EFT? ICEEFT
Johnson, S. M., Hunsley, J., Greenberg, L., & Schindler, D. (1999). Emotionally focused couples therapy: Status and challenges (a meta-analysis). Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6(1). ICEEFT
Lebow, J. L., Chambers, A. L., Christensen, A., & Johnson, S. M. (2012). Research on the treatment of couple distress. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(1), 145–168. PubMed
Roddy, M. K., Walsh, L. M., Rothman, K., Hatch, S. G., & Doss, B. D. (2020). Meta-analysis of couple therapy: Effects across outcomes, designs, timeframes, and other moderators. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(7). APA